Chapter 6: Navigating the Roads

Properly navigating the road requires a shared understanding of rules that govern who goes first and how to maneuver safely. These rules of yielding, turning, and passing are the foundation of a predictable and safe traffic system. Mastering them is not just for passing the driver’s license exam; it is a daily requirement for avoiding conflicts and collisions at intersections, on highways, and in any situation where your path crosses with another’s.

Right-of-Way

Right-of-way is the legal principle that determines who has the right to proceed first in a traffic situation. However, the law never grants an absolute right-of-way; it only states who must yield. A driver should always be prepared to yield to prevent a crash, regardless of who technically has the right-of-way.

Intersections

• Uncontrolled Intersections: At an intersection with no signs or signals, the driver who arrives first has the right to go first. If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver on the left must yield to the driver on the right.
• All-Way Stops: At intersections where all directions have a stop sign, the first vehicle to come to a complete stop has the right-of-way. If two or more vehicles stop simultaneously, the driver on the left must yield to the driver on the right.
• T-Intersections: At a T-intersection where the through-road has no traffic controls, vehicles on the terminating road must stop and yield to all traffic on the through-road.